Gerald M. Thomas
Saxophone/Flute/Clarinet

A native New Yorker, Saxophonist and flutist Gerald M. Thomas has been performing on saxophone for more than twenty years. He also has extensive experience teaching and performing the flute. Gerald began playing tenor saxophone in junior high school in Queens, New York, adding soprano and then alto and baritone in Bronx High School of Science. A graduate of City College of New York, he holds the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts specializing in Jazz Performance. In the Jazz program, Gerald was awarded the Joel Award, a full tuition award granted to an undergraduate student. On graduation, he received the honors Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa membership as awards.

Gerald M. Thomas has maintained an active performing career. He has performed with many jazz greats over the years; Milt Jackson, Tommy Flanagan, Louis Hayes, John Hicks, Benny Golson, John Patitucci, and Roy Ayers just to name a few. He was invited to perform at the reopening ceremony of Seven World Trade Center. Gerald has also played in numerous bands of many differing genres of music, including Latin Jazz, Afro-Cuban Rhumba, Salsa, Brazilian Samba, Latin pop, Haitian Kompa, and R&B/Funk. On occasion, he performs with acts suck as Jared Crawford’s band (with the members from Bring the Noise, Bring the Funk), Savion Glover productions, and various other new artists.

In addition, Gerald also leads his two of his own groups: GMT_EXPRESS, an ensemble which performs exclusively his own compositions and arrangements, and Latin Garage Band, a very experimental Cuban and Caribbean Jazz band.

Gerald has been teaching privately and is enthusiastic about sharing his talent with others. Besides a busy studio musician, Gerald has taught at York College in Queens, New York. Gerald is enjoys being a faculty member of Bergen Academy of Music and Art.